A Quercus International team, led by Mark Whelan, Neil Giles and Michael Mortimor, has advised the shareholders of Capital Compactors Limited (“CCL” or the “Company”) on the sale of the Company to Impact Environmental Group (“IEG”), a portfolio company of US Private Equity firm Aurora Capital Partners .

CCL is a leading UK-based designer, manufacturer and supplier of waste compactors and recycling balers, operating from a state-of-art, purpose-built manufacturing and office facility in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, supported by its head office and support centre located in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.  CCL was founded in 2000 by Alistair and Jo Lindsay, both of whom have led the business since its inception.

CCL becomes the fourth major UK waste products and services business to join IEG alongside Taylor, DuraFlex and UKCM.  IEG’s decision to acquire CCL supports its customer-service oriented growth plan, which centres on building a comprehensive waste solutions business in the UK through ‘Best of British’ brands focused on sustainability.  IEG anticipates a seamless transition as all of CCL’s employees remain in place including Managing Director, Daniel Parsons and Technical Director, Laurence Lindsay, in addition to support by IEG’s EMEA Managing Director, Mike Braddock.

Jo Lindsay, Co-Founder of CCL said:

“When Alistair & I started CCL in March 2000 we had a dream to one day become the UK’s leading supplier of top-quality waste compaction and recycling machinery.  23 years on we believe we have achieved that dream, together with our amazing workforce, and the support of our loyal customers, suppliers and business associates.  As the company has grown, CCL’s brand has become highly respected throughout the waste industry.  Its reputation for providing reliable equipment and excellent service has attracted many offers to acquire the business, but for us to consider handing over our much-loved company we had to feel sure whoever took over would be the perfect fit.  We truly feel we have found that in IEG.  With the environmentally conscious companies within their Group, we believe we have an ideal compatibility with IEG’s values, culture and strategy, and their acquisition will allow CCL to reach its full potential and continue onto the next level.  More importantly, the further expansion offers exciting opportunities to all its staff members - our highly valued Team Capital - who have made CCL a company to be immensely proud of!”

Mike Braddock adds:

“The acquisition of CCL adds yet another premier service offering to the IEG EMEA portfolio. We’ve been so fortunate to build the EMEA family with such respected companies now adding another in CCL.   Their value and reputation in the waste industry make us a more complete supplier to our core Customers by providing Bins, Wear Parts, Services and now Compactors and Balers.” 

Mark Whelan, Partner at Quercus comments:

“We are delighted to have advised Al and Jo Lindsay on the sale of CCL which they developed and grew from an idea into the UK’s leading manufacturer of high-quality waste compaction and baling equipment. Al and Jo were keen to retire and asked Quercus International to help them find a buyer who would both protect and enhance their legacy. Through a pre-existing relationship we had with IEG in the UK, we found a buyer that would be able to do just that. We are sure that under IEG’s ownership, CCL and its excellent team will continue to flourish and innovate and be able to maintain its position as a key provider of waste management and recycling solutions in the UK.”

This transaction illustrates the strength of Quercus International within both the waste and industrial sectors, and the third completion within the industrial sector in as many months.

CCL is a leading UK-based designer, manufacturer and supplier of waste compactors and recycling balers, operating from a state-of-art, purpose-built manufacturing and office facility in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, supported by its head office and support centre located in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.  CCL was founded in 2000 by Alistair and Jo Lindsay, both of whom have led the business since its inception.

Headquartered in Kent, Sureserve Group is a UK-based energy support services group.

We advised on the sale of the group's subsidiary Precision Lifts which  sells, installs and modernises all types of lifts and provides repair and maintenance services to clients across the South East of England. 

A Quercus International team led by Tully Cornick and Andrew Clegg has advised Sureserve Group Limited (“Sureserve”) on the sale of Precision Lift Services Limited (“Precision”) to Anlev UK Limited, a subsidiary of ATAL, a Hong Kong listed electrical and mechanical engineering service provider.

Based in Essex, Precision sells, installs and modernises all types of lifts and provides repair and maintenance services to clients across the South East of England. Sureserve had previously announced that Precision was no longer core and that they were looking for a new owner who could help the business to realise its growth ambitions.

The acquisition represents another milestone in ATAL’s strategy to expand internationally following the establishment of Anlev UK in 2020 to enter the European market. Today, Anlev manufactures products from its own facilities in Nanjing, China which are exported to over 20 countries across six continents.

Nicholas Chapman, Group Commercial Finance Director of Sureserve said:

“We are delighted that Precision is now joining an organisation focused on maximising the growth opportunities in the UK lifts market.  We are also pleased to have benefited from the expertise and advice of Quercus International whose experience and commitment were significant factors in achieving a successful result.”

Tully Cornick, Associate Partner of Quercus International, added:

“We have very much enjoyed working with Nik and the Sureserve team on this important transaction and we are delighted to have found Precision such a good home.  The business has an excellent reputation and longstanding client base and the combination presents Anlev UK with an excellent opportunity to expand their presence in the UK.”

Blue Bear is a world-leading provider of AI-enabled autonomous swarm systems for complex defence and security applications. Based in Bedford (UK), Blue Bear employs 65 employees with a turnover of £8 million in 2022.

The acquisition is part of Saab’s continued international growth journey across key markets, which include the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Germany.

The combination of Saab’s world-leading products, services and solutions, and Blue Bear’s experience as an agile integrator of AI-enabled autonomous swarm systems will be a powerful driver of Saab’s future capabilities. Blue Bear will contribute to Saab’s existing activities worldwide and Saab will benefit from Blue Bear’s expertise in autonomy and swarming, as well as command and control systems.

Within Saab, Blue Bear will be a centre for Rapid Concept Development providing expertise and scaling-up innovation.

A Quercus Corporate Finance team, led by Michael Mortimor and Andrew Clegg, has advised the shareholders of Blue Bear Systems Group Limited (“Blue Bear” or the “Company”) on the sale of the Company to Saab UK Limited (“Saab”).

Blue Bear is a world-leading provider of AI-enabled autonomous swarm systems for complex defence and security applications. Based in Bedford (UK), Blue Bear employs 65 employees with a turnover of £8 million in 2022.

The acquisition is part of Saab’s continued international growth journey across key markets, which include the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Germany.

The combination of Saab’s world-leading products, services and solutions, and Blue Bear’s experience as an agile integrator of AI-enabled autonomous swarm systems will be a powerful driver of Saab’s future capabilities. Blue Bear will contribute to Saab’s existing activities worldwide and Saab will benefit from Blue Bear’s expertise in autonomy and swarming, as well as command and control systems.

Within Saab, Blue Bear will be a centre for Rapid Concept Development providing expertise and scaling-up innovation.

Building on the recent Wixroyd and Keronite transactions, Blue Bear once again demonstrates Quercus Corporate Finance’s strength in the industrial technology sector.

Dr Yoge Patel, CEO of Blue Bear said:

“Mike Mortimor was simply superb. Transactions are stressful - Mike’s adeptness in pulling together different strands of the process, using not just his Corporate Finance knowledge but also his ex-CFO experiences, allowed us to execute with confidence and pace. Grace and humour can often be a rarity in fiscal matters, but it is Mike’s natural style.

This remarkable style combined with his sheer talent and his eagerness to engage whenever needed, was just priceless. Most importantly, I felt very supported throughout the whole process - on my terms, not anyone else’s.”

Mike Mortimor, Partner of Quercus Corporate Finance, said:

“We are honoured and humbled to have been trusted by Dr Yoge Patel to advise on this significant transaction for the UK defence sector. Under the leadership of Dr Yoge Patel and her team, Blue Bear has continually been at the forefront of developing and delivering, AI-enabled autonomous swarm systems for the most complex environments – products and services that will play an increasingly vital role in ensuring a safer world. As a centre for Rapid Concept Development, Blue Bear has an exciting future within Saab.”